Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-07-28
THE ATLANTA \ FAILURE.
inspectors say She II Worthless as "a War
Vessel a. at Present Arranged.

inspectors say She II Worthless as War
Vessel ss at Present Arranged.
NEW YORK, July PA New port SPECIAL
says: The Board appointed by Secretary
Whitney on Friday Lost 10 inspect the At
lantl and take command of her until his
orders mad be fully carried ont, met ou
board the vessel Monday.
Tae Board was busy that day and the
next cNmiring the armament of the At
laut1. The result will he communicated
10 Secretary Whitney in few days when
the BOaId completes lis labor, not % il wa
outlined IN the order Of Secretary Whitney
naming the members of the Board and the
duties they were expected to perform, but
the result of the inspection OF the ship aud
her armament aS revealed to the Board
during the short time i; has walked the
the deck of the Atlanta
The results OF the laoOrs of the board,
summarized, are as follows: The ship is at
present practically useless. Her structure
appears 20 be strong and free from weak
Ness, but Ler armament 5 tOrS de- ,Ombn'
The injury to the elght-inch gun ear
riageS Is such that they cannot again he
used until completely repaired. The dam
age To the clip circle and clips Is such that
II repaired the board would not be warrau-
ted IN firing the Guns, repetition OF the
injury II them being inevitable.
The board does not think that this por-
tiOu ot the fittings Of the vessel was ever
intended 10 retird the Tecoil of guns aad
the damage done Is n excess of what is
reasonable. The deck OF the vessel is found
to i've intact The uncertain behavior OF
the eight inch guns makes it ineNprdj-nt
To again subject the vessel to lining tests
Ii Is manifest Il, from the Location OF the
iN-urh guns that the eight-iuch guns
would be idle. rs IL would be impossible To
work both guns at the same time The
smaller secondary battery i also useless
while either the eight or SiN-iUch guns are
fired. The result is that the Atlanta rs a
vessel ot war, aS the armament is now AT
ranged. Is absolutely worthl,ss The dis
charge of the heayy-p0wdcrcd guns i like
ly ar followed by injury to the vessel
The three batteries which ought ~ he 50
arranged - d Dc tired NJ necessary stimuli
tmtuU-ly ore iuoper ttiye tor a single tire
The ho1rd will further report that until
the repairs pie made which the present
condition OF the ship really demands it is
out of the qu, tion to think OF makingauy
thorough test, of any pMt oI her battery.
What Is truc ut the AtIau'l is also true
ot the E"~ton and probably the Chicago.
Captain Eun,e. commanding the Atlanta,
prudrntiy tstrd the fleet OF the discharge
Of the eight inch 2anS before exposing the
men The lirs! sheep put near the gun
was blown nobody knows where The
-n,oud sheep was tied around the body
with a small rope aud slack enough given
To allow tr,ydom of movement The AMI
NAL was tossed high IN the ayr aud drawn
back by the rope dead creature. other
ohi.rr~ were placed near the S'>-nch guns,
ami u every instance the warning wo~ ,u
keep away from the guns when dIsrharg-
ed. The board will probably finish It's
labor, and adjourn this week, it being out
of the range OF probability that the tests
laid down 10y Secretary Whitney will ever
be executed.